CAMPAIGNERS met British Waterways and county council representatives last week for the first time since offering to repair a Northwich footbridge themselves.

Jim Lamont, John Rutter and Ron Yarwood set up the Riversdale Bridge Campaign Group to restore the Weaver-crossing footbridge between Northwich and Castle.

They met Ian Dale and Chris Cookson of the Weaver Vale Regional Parks program and Cheshire County Council and Andrew Wilkinson of British Waterways on Friday.

Mr Yarwood said: 'This was the first time a meeting between us had taken place, even though we had put forward an offer to repair the bridge ourselves, as volunteers, on January 8.

'We have no intention of keeping the offer open indefinitely. We are only motivated by the hope that it will result in the speedy reopening of the crossing.'

A spokesman for the Weaver Vale Regional Park, which chaired the meeting, said: 'We are all aware that we can't just click our fingers and have everything in place but we hope Weaver Vale Regional Park can get everything moving soon.'